The Rat Race

I haven't been on here in forever! Where does time go?



Recently, I have been complaining about the "rat race". Waking up, rushing kids off to school, heading into work, coming home, kids to violin/soccer/sporting events, spend 7 minutes eating the dinner that took at least 30 minutes to prepare, pack lunches, brush teeth, clothes for tomorrow, fall asleep putting kids to bed. What is the meaning of all of this? When you really take a moment to look at the life that is zooming by, it gets a little depressing. Especially when I get into my cynical, glass is half-empty mode. The other day I was bitching about it to my sister who reminded me that she had just written a blog about the very same subject . She has been reading a book about the psychology of optimism or happiness or some psychobabble to that effect, anyhow she has been writing in a gratitude journal at night to help maintain perspective as her life is whooshing by.

So, here goes.....this is what makes it all worth it (in no particular order):

• A warm bed full of kids and sock monkeys.
• Thursday nights: "Family night, Arkles' style" Watching Survivor and eating cheese popcorn.
• Staying up late with my man to catch any episodes of CSI that we've missed.
• Knowing that whatever I ask of my husband, he will at least make an attempt to make it happen.
• Hearing Blair say, "I can sleep in my own bed, I just want to sleep with you because I love you so much."
• Catching Bree practicing her violin and enjoying it.
• Knowing that when I wake up in the dreaded mid-day Monday fog after working nights all weekend, my husband will have cleaned my kitchen, prepared my coffee, made dinner, and packed the kids' lunches for the next day.
• Friday lunch dates with my husband and my niece, Emerson.
• When my miserly son (aka Scrooge) fishes a quarter out of his pocket (of his VERY OWN MONEY) to buy his little sister a gumball without being prompted.
• Watching my oldest girl throw elbows on the soccer field.
• Seeing my boy while I am working at his school and he non-chalantly passes and waves like it's no big deal that he sees me there.
• Watching my niece, Mia, walk itty-bitty Blair into school each morning.
• When Bree calls Ben up to her room to watch "Unwrapped" because she's still scared of sleeping alone.
• When my rotten dogs look up from their pedestals (on our "new" overstuffed chairs) as I enter the living room, and I can't help but think they are cute.
• Late night, uninterrupted phone calls with my sisters.
• Knowing that whatever inanimate object I run into with my car (i.e. big boulder, pillar of parking structure, dead belly-up deer, small boulder) my husband will just roll his eyes and mutter under his breath, but never really get mad.

Okay, so I guess rats don't really have it this good!